Takeshi and old Orfin sat before the burning hearth. Above it, the entire bull Takeshi had hunted was suspended on a sturdy wooden stake that could barely support its massive weight. The aroma of roasting meat was enticing, and its flesh glistened like a pearl beneath the sea under the brilliance of the sun.
Orfin stared at it hungrily, rubbing his hands in anticipation of the delicious meal. Takeshi, however, focused on Orfin, watching him with a heavy, serious gaze, his guard not dropping for a single second.
'This old man… not only is he powerful, but he is intelligent too. He hides both behind that smiling face…'
Orfin pulled his gaze away from the bull and looked at Takeshi, who said:
"You told me you would tell me your story. Or are you just using this time to stall?"
Old Orfin yawned, rubbing his eyes as sleep began to take hold, then said dismissively:
"From what I see, you won't believe me unless you hear the past of this old man sitting before you."
Takeshi did not respond, choosing silence until Orfin spoke:
"Fine, keep your ears open to hear every detail…"
He leaned back, staring at the ground, and began to recount his story:
"A long time ago, when I was a youth like you, I joined an organization whose goal was to suppress evil and gangs, and to help citizens in need."
Takeshi nodded, interrupting him:
"And what does this have to do with your goal?"
Orfin raised his eyes, smiling, and said:
"Let me finish, boy… Those were the traits of that fake organization. Our dreams were tied to passing the entrance exam, joining them, performing missions, and helping people…"
Orfin raised his hand and struck the ground with force, then continued, but this time in a serious tone:
"Damn it! We truly were fools… Behind that curtain and illusion lay a shocking truth that struck the hearts of those of us who believed in those superficial descriptions. When we joined the organization, we saw the truth that changed our perspective entirely."
Takeshi swallowed and asked:
"What did you see?"
Beneath Orfin's forced smile, his teeth were gritted together in rage.
"I saw hell that day… We were recruited and forcibly trained, not to make us stronger, but to make us shut our mouths and cover up the atrocities we were assigned."
He took a deep breath, relaxing his fist for a moment, then continued:
"The administrators overseeing us cared only for money and power, nothing more, nothing less. Therefore, we were assigned inhumane tasks: theft, murder, assassination, and even massacres and genocide. We participated in countless wars by force, and the return was a pittance…"
Takeshi knit his brows, his grip tightening. He stood up, staring sharply at Orfin, and said:
"Are you saying you used to kill and take innocent lives?"
Orfin smiled faintly; it was a hollow smile carrying immense guilt and regret. He said in a faint voice:
"That is correct…"
Takeshi's eyes widened until they reddened. He struck the air with his fist and took a step toward Orfin, shouting:
"And what makes you different from them then?! Taking lives and stealing souls under the word 'forced'—"
Orfin closed his eyes, the smile vanishing from his face. He interrupted Takeshi, raising his voice:
"I know that. That is why I want to achieve my goal. Please, boy, let me finish."
Takeshi took a deep breath and calmed himself, then sat back down.
"We remained in that state until the day came when we decided to break our silence of decades…"
Orfin reached into his pocket and pulled out an old, weathered paper. He stared at it as he continued:
"One day, most of us decided to revolt. At first, we spread rumors about the organization's credibility, but they quickly vanished. So, we were forced into the other plan: bringing it down by force."
Orfin gave a quick laugh and looked at the cloudy sky, remembering the details of that day.
"I remember killing one of the organization's five administrators, which caused a bounty to be placed on my head."
Orfin handed the fragile paper to Takeshi and added, smiling:
"I was also the leader of that campaign, which we also called 'The Expedition,' based on the story of the Aura. Hahahaha!"
Takeshi held the paper in amazement, his hands trembling so much they nearly tore it as he re-read the words.
He swallowed and said:
"You are wanted for a bounty of 78 million gold pieces!"
Takeshi shouted in astonishment; he had never expected to read such astronomical numbers, let alone that they belonged to the old man sitting before him.
The common currency across all nations on the planet was known as the "Reed."
It was divided into three primary categories:
- Copper: Ten Copper Reeds were equal to one Silver Reed, and they could be used to buy small sweets, such as chewing gum.
- Silver: Ten Silver Reeds were equal to one Gold Reed, and they could buy more expensive items, like a full meal or basic clothing.
- Gold: The highest tier. 25 gold pieces could sustain a single person living a very modest life, provided they didn't waste money on useless things.
Therefore, the amount of one million gold pieces was staggering—let alone a figure consisting of eight zeros.
Seeing Takeshi's shock, Orfin raised his head laughing and said:
"Hahaha! In truth, more than a decade has passed since then, so the bounty was withdrawn under the assumption that I was dead."
Takeshi wiped the sweat from his forehead and returned the paper to Orfin, shock still possessing his soul.
'I knew he was someone dangerous and powerful, but not to this extent!'
Takeshi calmed himself, then asked Orfin to continue.
"Fine, finish your story."
Orfin scratched the back of his head, remembering where he had stopped.
"Well… where were we? Oh, right, we named our revolution 'The Expedition' after the Expedition Army in the story of the Void World—or the First Generation as it was called in that book… But there is a big difference between us, which is that the real Expedition won the battle… while we were utterly defeated."
Beneath his wide smile, an old longing touched Orfin's heart, and a vast sadness overcame him. He was silent for a moment until Takeshi spoke:
"I'm sorry to hear that. But why don't you ally with any of those who were with you in that expedition to achieve your goal, and why did you come to me in the first place?"
Orfin didn't respond for a moment. He caught his breath and steadied his soul, which longed for the past. He closed his eyes and said, trying to maintain his smile:
"They are all dead. I am the only survivor."
Takeshi did not reply; he felt a surge of regret for asking such a question.
Orfin opened his eyes and raised his hands, saying in a cheerful tone:
"Well, even if they were alive, they probably would never accept. And I suspect it's the same for you; you've wasted your time for nothing."
Orfin stood up and turned his back to Takeshi, heading toward the shadows of the muddy forest, raising his hand high.
"Farewell."
Takeshi didn't respond for a few seconds, remaining silent as he gathered his thoughts and finally decided.
"Wait!"
Orfin stopped without a word, listening to what Takeshi would say:
"Don't think I'll forget that you haven't told me about what you did with those monsters."
Orfin raised his head, staring at the clouds covering the clear sky, and said without turning:
"I'm sorry to say this, but I have no time to waste, boy. I must find allies as quickly as possible—"
Takeshi hurried toward Orfin, interrupting him:
"Something dear to my heart was stolen, and my only shelter, my possessions, and my books were burned by a gang called the Royal Skull Gang."
Orfin nodded, the smile on his face growing wider.
"I know them."
Takeshi extended his hand, pointing his finger at Orfin, and said:
"Perhaps our dreams differ, but we share the same idea for our current goal. My next objective is to exterminate that gang and erase them completely. With your help, I can do that and reclaim my revenge and my property. Old man, I declare that I will ally with you to achieve this small goal, heading toward greater objectives in the future!"
Orfin turned around, his wide, reassuring smile painted on his face, and said with great pleasure:
"I am delighted to accept!"
Orfin and Takeshi stepped toward each other and shook hands firmly. Orfin saw a bright future awaiting him in the end, but Takeshi was looking at something else. He was looking into the darkness of the forest, at something Orfin never saw.
But suddenly, a faint voice that only Takeshi could hear came from the forest's gloom.
"This is the first step toward the world, my son."
It was a blue entity emitting a strange aura. Its voice was exactly like that of Takeshi's father. Its body vibrated like waves on the sea, and it soon vanished like torn paper flying in the sky with the wind.